A symbol of America’s desire to explore the world independently and our passion with the automobile, Route 66 passed through Missouri on its way from Chicago to the Pacific Coast.

At the time the road was active, it passed through what is now a 400-acre state park. The visitor center is an old motel and attempts to explain and interpret America’s fascination with The Mother Road.

But there’s another story as well. The park is located on the Meramec River where once thrived a little community known as Times Beach. In the 1980s, it was discovered that the streets of this town had been covered with toxic chemicals.

After a major environmental clean-up, the result is a beautiful Missouri State Park, always free to the public.

The visitor center is closed from December through February. Otherwise, it’s open 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.